Cable Dressing Fixture Aligns Bundles During Pulling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cable dressing methods are inefficient and labor-intensive, leading to cable entanglement, increased labor costs, and ergonomic issues for technicians, as they do not effectively bundle cables during the pulling process, and existing solutions either fail to bundle cables or require manual untangling, which is time-consuming and strains the technician's body.
Innovation Solution
A cable dressing fixture that aligns and bundles cables immediately after they leave the spool, using a series of smaller diameter holes to prevent knots and imperfections, allowing for easier identification and replacement of defective cables, and reducing manual labor by maintaining cable alignment as they are pulled through the fixture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual cable dressing is performed after cable pulling, then cables can be organized into bundles, but the process becomes labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by integrating the cable dressing fixture directly onto the cable reel, allowing cables to be dressed and bundled immediately as they are pulled from the reel. This eliminates the separate post-pulling dressing step, as the fixture performs the bundling action concurrently with the cable pulling process, thereby reducing overall cycle time and labor requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the cable dressing function with the cable pulling operation by mounting the dressing fixture directly on the cable reel. This combination allows both operations to occur simultaneously rather than sequentially, integrating what were previously separate manual processes into a unified system that reduces labor intensity and increases productivity.
2Ease of operation
If manual cable dressing is performed after cable pulling, then cables can be organized into bundles, but technician strain on hands, wrists, arms, and back increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cable dressing fixture performs the bundling operation automatically as cables pass through it during the pulling process. The fixture self-adjusts and self-positions multiple cables onto spacers and applies compression without requiring manual manipulation, thereby eliminating the repetitive strain that technicians previously experienced from manually handling and bundling cables.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system of hand-dressing cables with an automated mechanical fixture mounted on the reel. The fixture uses spacers, compression members, and guide structures to automatically position and bundle cables, substituting the technician's manual mechanical actions with a mechanized system that eliminates ergonomic strain.
3Adaptability or versatility
If cables are pulled from boxes or spools without immediate bundling, then cable routing is flexible, but cable entanglement and tangles increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture performs preliminary bundling action immediately as cables are pulled from the reel, organizing cables into their final bundled configuration before routing. This preliminary organization prevents entanglement and tangles from developing during subsequent handling and installation, while the bundled cables remain flexible enough to be routed as needed.
4Ease of operation
If conventional manual dressing methods are used, then cable bundles can be formed, but labor costs and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cable dressing fixture operates continuously throughout the cable pulling process, performing bundling actions without interruption as cables are pulled from the reel. This continuous operation eliminates the separate post-pulling dressing step entirely, converting a previously discontinuous two-stage process into a single continuous operation that significantly reduces total process time and labor costs.
Data Source
AI summary
A fixture for dressing a plurality of cables into cable bundles is provided. The fixture includes a first panel having a plurality of first apertures extending through the panel. The first apertures are configured in a predetermined array in the first panel, with each first aperture located a first distance from each adjacent first aperture. A second panel is disposed at a distance from the first panel, the second panel having a plurality of second apertures extending through the second panel. The second apertures are configured in a second array corresponding to the array of apertures in the first panel. Each second aperture is located a second distance from each adjacent second aperture. The first plurality of apertures receives a plurality of cables fed into the fixture. The second plurality of apertures is adapted to receive the cables from the first apertures and to feed the cables from the fixture in a cable array ready to be tied into a bundle.